Failure already?

It's difficult to practise what you preach. While I love the idea of decluttering, getting rid of all the "stuff", and not accumulating any more, I have found that Russ and I are making lists of things we *need* to buy before we commit to The Contract. This runs the gamut from new computer bits (Russ has been wanting to rebuild the computer for a few years now) to a new duvet cover for our bed. Throw in a new mattress and sandals for the kids and you can see why it almost seems impossible to get off the treadmill of consume/spend. We have two duvet covers. Both are approximately 3 or 4 years old. One has ruffles along it which my husband hates. I have actually witnessed him punching the duvet ruffles to get them out of his face. It's a sad sight. The other duvet cover was bought in England and is a "double" which comes nowhere near to the size of our American queen sized bed. In fact, my mother walked past my bedroom yesterday and commented "you really need a bed skirt if you're going to have that tiny comforter on your bed". Do we need a new duvet? No. Do I WANT one. Yes. Our computer actually works. I am using it now. We use it regularly to download tv programs off of UK Nova, to webcam friends and family, and to do mundane tasks such as email. Do we NEED a new-built computer? No. Do we want one? Yes. The kids do actually need sandals. Unfortunately kids really do grow each year, unlike Russ and me who are both wearing the same shoes/clothes, for the most part, since around 2003. We'll see who ends up winning: frugal or stuff? I know who I'm rooting for.